Game apparatus



March 24, 1936. N. .1. RYAN 2,035,277

GAME APPARATUS I Filed March 26, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l WITNESSES 54 5 l 5 INVENTOR M flake lees Jffiyan (j g BY ATTORN EY March 24, 1-936. N. J. RYAN 2,035,271

GAME APPARATUS Filed March 26, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 27 25 34 f Z6 Z0 76 Nil" WITNESSES 70 INVENTOR Jl icholas JiRyar z/ ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 24,1936

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAME APPARATUS 7 Nicholas J. Ryan, Mount Vernon, N. Y. 7

Application March 26, 1935, Serial No. 13,165 I e 8 Claims.

This invention relates to a game apparatus.

An object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus designed and adapted so that persons may play games of an interesting, pleasing and amusing nature requiring the exercise of skill and patience.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of the indicated character, which, by virtue of the novel features thereof, enables persons to play games having the characteristics of billiards, croquet and golf.

The invention consists of the features of construction and arrangement of parts, as well as the combinations thereof, as hereinafter described and claimed and. illustrated.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan'view showing certain features of the apparatus;

'Fig. 2 is a view of one of the cues of the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a view of one of the drivers of the apparatus;

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are views showing variously marked balls respectively of the apparatus;

Fig. 8 is a section taken on the line 8-8 of i Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating certain features; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view illus trating certain features.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, it will be apparent that the apparatus includes a structure II) which may be termed a board of any preferred. construction, size and shape; In the present instance the structure l0 consists of upper and lower plates or panels II and 12 respectively, preferably of laminated wood, which are secured in any suitable manner to spacers H3. The panels II and I2'therefore will be in spacedparallel relation to each other. Certain of theispacers 13' will be disposed along the marginal edges of the panels II and I2. The structure ID, in the present instance, is octagonal in outline or'contour; The structure ID is covered throughout by covering material M such as'billiard cloth,- muslin or any other suitable material of a like nature. The structure I0 with its covering material 14 provides a fiat playing surface 15. The playing surface I5 is subdivided by suitable means into a starting outfield l6, an infield ll, an outer series of fairways l3, and an inner series of fairways 19. The said means constituting continuous boundaries is fixedly secured to the structure l9 and projects upwardly from the surface I 5. This means consists of strips 20 of wood, rubber, or a combination of these materials. When rubber is used, its pur-. pose is to cause a rebounding action. The strips- 20 are arranged in spaced parallel relation to each other and parallel to the sides of the structure H], to provide the fairways l8 and I9. The

strips 20 constitute rails bounding the opposite sides of the fairways l8 and I9. Use is made of pieces 2! of wood which are notched to provide wickets or arches 22. The pieces 2| are secured to the structure l0 and are disposed radially with respect to a central point on the structure l0, and transversely to the rails 20.

with which they are interlocked. Ther are eight pieces 2!, and each has six arches 22, three.

of the arches being in line with the outer fairways I8 and the other three arches being in line with the inner fairways I9. A piece 23 of the same material as the pieces 2| is arranged coincidental with a line dividingthe outfield It with the infield ll.

22 is distinguished by the redmarker 25, the

secondarch is distinguished by the white marker 26, and the third arch of the group is distin guished by the yellow marker .21. The markers 25, 26 and 21 of the several pieces 2| are changed about as shown in Fig. 1.. The arches 240i the pieces 23 are distinguished by markers 25, 26 and 21 to correspond to, the markers of the pieces 2|, and the remaining two arches 24 are distinguished by markers 28 each of which consists of a combination of the three colors red, white and yellow. The arches 22 and 24 in' co'njunction with the outfield IS, the infield ll and the fairways l8 and [9 provide a plurality of courses which may be traversed. by ame pieces The piece 23 is formed to, provide five arches 24 similar to the arches 22 communicating with the outfield l6 and the in. As pointed out, the arches 22 arein such as rollers or balls driven on the playing sur- 7 formation, and is formed to provide a cup 30 communicating with a hole 3|. The element 29 being of a conical formation provides an inclined surface 32 extending from the cup 33 to the playing surface of the infield [1. The surface 32 is subdivided into a plurality of areas 33 leading from the playing surface of the infield to the cup. The areas 33 are distinguished from each other by suitable means such as the words red, white and yellow, respectively, corresponding to the colors of the arches.

In accordance with the invention use is made of balls 34, there being two balls to each set, and a suitable number of sets, according to the number of colors, will be provided. To meet the requirements in the present instance twelve balls 34 or six sets of two each are provided. The balls shown in Figs. 4 and 5 constitute one set, the ball shown in Fig. 4 having two spots 35, whereas the ball shown in Fig. ,5 has four spots 35. These spots 35 are white. The balls shown in Figs. 6 and '7 constitute another set and are distinguished from the spotted balls by red stripes, the ball shown in Fig. 6 having one stripe 36 and the ball shown in Fig. 7 having two stripes 36. It is to be understoodthat sets of balls 34 having distinguishing marks and colored yellow are provided.

Suitable implements are provided for propelling or driving the balls such as the one 31 shown in Fig. 2, and the driver 38 shown in Fig. 3. Six of the cues 31 and also six drivers 38 are provided so that there will be enough cues or drivers to go around in the event that the games are played by partners.

A game may be played having the characteristics of billiards in which each player uses a cue 31 and a set of the spotted balls 34. The color of the spots determines the course to be followed through the arches arranged at intervals along the pathways or fairways. The two balls are arranged in the outfield IS in any preferred position. The four-spot ball is used as a. driver of the two-spot ball. The cue is used to drive the four-spot ball. The color chosen determines the course to be followed. For instance, the white spot balls follow the course through the arches marked with the markers 28. The two-spot ball is first driven with the four-spot ball through the first arch to the right of the outfield l6, after which the four-spot ball is driven with the cue through the particular arch. The player continues to shoot or drive the balls until a miss is made, after which the other or next player shootsv or drives the chosen balls through the particular colored arches. The balls are driven through'the arches along the outer fairways 18 in a prescribed order to the left side of the outfield I6, after which the play continues to the inner fairways l9 from the right side of the outfield [6 around the board to the left side of the outfield l6. Then from the outfield l6 into the infield I! through the particular colored arch 24 from the infield l1 into the cup 30 over the proper colored area 33. The player first to negotiate the cup 30 with both balls is declared the winner or the winner may be determined by the number of shots taken by the players.

If desired a game may be played using drivers such as the driver 38 instead of a cue. In this case a single ball is used by each player. The ball is driven through the arches from the outfield l6, first along the outer fairways l8 and then the inner fairways l9 to the infield I1, and

The penalties in playing the games mentioned? are as follows. If a ball is driven throi'igh anf arch of a color different from that of th ball chosen, the player must return the ball through the particular arch and return the same throufi the proper arch in a forward direction, and these shots in returning the ball are counted the same as the shots driving the ball forward along its course. If'a ball is driven back into another fairway from the one played in, a re-start has to be made from that point where the ball landed in the wrong course. If a ball is driven off the board, the player has to re-start at the beginning from the outfield l6.

Any preferred set of rules may be provided and observed in playing games with the appa-- ratus. The additional markers 28 are provided to allow a player or players reaching the outfield it after the first player has reached the same,

to select either of the arches 24 marked by the marker 28, or the other arch 24 marked by the proper color.

As shown most clearly in Fig. 8, the cup 38 by virtue of the hole 3| may communicate with an inclined runway 39 between the panels ll anidl l2. This runway 39 terminates beyond one side of the structure as shown most clearly in Fig. 9 to enable the removal of the balls. It is to be un-. derstood that the structure l0 may be mounted on suitable legs, or a portable frame may be provideo. to hold the structure at the desired elevation. It is also to be understood that a board may be constructed of a single piece of material such as wood or concrete covered in the manner described. 7 l

I claim:

1. In a game apparatus, a board providing a fiat playing surface, an arrangement of rail elements on said board projecting upwardly from said surface providing a starting outfield, an infield, fairways connecting the outfield and infield, and arches on the fairways and also between the outfield and infield.

2. In a. game apparatus, a board providing a fiat playing surface, an arrangement of rail elements on said board projecting upwardly from said surface providing a starting outfield, an infield, fairways connecting the outfield and infield, and arches on the fairways and also between the outfield and infield, said arches in conjunction with said outfield, infield and fairways providing a plurality of courses which may traversed by balls driven through the arches in a prescribed order from the outfield to the infield.

3. In a game apparatus, a board providing a fiat playing surface, an arrangement of rail elements on said boardprojecting upwardly from said surface providing a starting outfield, an infield, fairways connecting the outfield and infield, arches on the fairways and also between the outfield and infield, said arches in conjunction with said outfield, infield and fairways providing a continuous course which may be traversed by a roller made to pass through the arches from the outfield to the infield, and a cup within the infield into which the roller may be propelled.

4. In a game apparatus, a structure providing a fiat upper surface, rails fixed on said structure overlying said surface in spaced relation to each other, elements fixed on said structure overlying said surface in spaced relation to each other and extending radially with respect to a central point on said structure and transversely of said rails, said elements providing a plurality of arches, said rails and elements in conjunction with said surface providing a starting outfield, an infield, and fairways connecting the outfield and infield, a single element fixed on said structure between the outfield and infield and providing a plurality of arches, all of said arches in conjunction with the outfield, infield and fairways providing a plurality of courses which may be traversed by rollers driven through said arches in a prescribed order from the outfield to the infield.

5. In a game apparatus, a structure providing a playing surface having upwardly projecting means defining an outfield and an infield, a portion of said means providing a plurality of arches communicating with the outfield and infield, an element positioned on the structure within said infield, said element providing a cup and an inclined surface extending from the cup to the playing surface of the infield, said inclined surface being subdivided into a plurality of areas leading from the playing surface of the infield to the cup, and said arches and areas having corresponding distinguishing means respectively.

6. In a game apparatus, a structure providing an upper playing surface having upwardly projecting means defining a starting outfield, an outer and an inner pathway extending from one side of the outfield around the structure to the other side of the outfield, similar arches spanning each of said pathways at intervals in groups, and distinguishing means for each arch of each group and the distinguishing means of the arches of each group being similar.

7. In a game device, a board providing a fiat playing surface, members secured to the board in relation to said surface defining a playing field, one of said members having a plurality of passages therein for the passage of suitable objects therethrough onto said field, distinguishing means on said member for each of said passages, said members also constituting obstructions against which the objects may strike, and a cup on said board within said field to receive said objects when properly propelled.

8. In a game device, a board providing a flat playing surface, members secured to the board in relation to said surface to define an outfield and an infield, one of said members being between said fields and having a plurality of passages therein for the passage of suitable rollers therethrough from the one field to another, distinguishing means on said member for each of said passages, said members also constituting obstructions against which said rollers may strike, and a cup on said board within said infield to receive said rollers when properly propelled.

NICHOLAS J. RYAN 

